Welcome to Cebu City, Philippines

Dubbed as the Queen City of the South, Cebu City is one of the historic sites and thriving cities of the Philippines. Cebu City is one of the oldest cities in the country. It is disputed to have the oldest street in all of the Philippines — Colon Street.

Cebu City may be old, but the nightlife here isn’t really ancient. Cebu City may well be termed as the resort of the Visayas region. It has a thriving commercial center, an international harbor, and is the second city in the Philippines.

The history of the Philippines is well marked in Cebu City. Its vicinity is the place where much of Philippine-Spanish history started. Here is the place where the Spanish first landed for conquest. Evidence of which is Fort San Pedro, the oldest and smallest Spanish fort in the country. This was built under the command of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565, a Spanish Conquistador.

Other than Fort San Pedro, Cebu City has a host of other tourist spots to visit. Colon Street, in the downtown area, is the oldest street in the country. Built by the Spaniards during the conquest here in the country, the place was once known as the Parian District. The street nowadays is the center of Cebu City’s nightlife. Lined by movie houses, department stores, restaurants, and business establishments, Colon Street is now a center of commerce in Cebu City.

Casa Gorordo Museum is the home of the first Filipino Bishop of Cebu. You’ll be treated to a tour of life in the late 1800s. The place is marked by relics of the era that includes antique furniture, and a Spanish style courtyard.

Another popular site in Cebu City is the Magellan’s cross. It features a wooden cross planted by Ferdinand Magellan over 450 years ago. It commemorates the beginning of Christianity in the Philippines.

The University of San Carlos, Cebu City is the oldest school in the Philippines. It was established in 1565 and was formerly known as Colegio de San Ildefonso.

Other tourist spots in Cebu City feature other religious sites like a Taoist Temple (a lot of people climb its 99 steps everyday just to have their fortunes read to them) and the Heavenly Temple of Charity (the natural spring located in this temple is believed to have healing effects).

Cebu City is also famous for its festivals. First of these is the Sinulog Festival celebrated every third Sunday of January. It’s the biggest festival in Cebu City, and is held in honor of the Holy Image of Senyor Santo Nino de Cebu.

Some of the other festivities include the Tres De Abril Celebration (commemorating the Spanish resistance) and Paskuhan (a province-wide Christmas celebration).

How to get to Cebu City? Flights from Manila to Cebu City are scheduled daily priced at Php 1,700 to Php 4,000. Another way to get to Cebu City is by ship with costs ranging from Php 2,000 to Php 3,600. Accommodations in Cebu City range from $18 to $600 from a night at a beach resort to a room in a grand hotel.

Come visit Cebu City to experience a mix of modern and historic life. Be prepared to experience the busy city life laced with a whiff of fresh sea air.

[Tags]Cebu City, Philippines, Visayas, Cebu, Visaya, Travel, Tourism, Cebu Island, Sinulog, Taoist Temple[/Tags]